He and Her

Maria stilled in shock and surprise at what she was seeing. She had come into Louis' room to clean up the mess, that wasn't all, she couldn't shut her mouth on seeing him carrying Aurelia in his arms.

" Put me down, Maria is here. She can help." Aurelia mumbled while trying to leave his hand despite his hold being strong.

Louis paid deaf ears to her whining and cursing as he placed her on the seat of his dressing table. As for Aurelia, she held the towel tightly to her body because Louis was quite unpredictable.

Through the mirror, she saw Maria smiling happily while mopping the ceramic floor.

" Maria, you can take over from me now I'm done washing her," he gave Aurelia a sheepish grin which didn't settle down with her.

" Yes Master, it won't be hard." Maria had suspected they had bickered seriously in the bathroom.

" Mhmm, she's quite a bunny." He commented before walking out of the room with elegant steps.

When Maria and Aurelia were the only ones in the room, the housekeeper quickly sat beside Aurelia to hear some juicy gossip.

" Now tell me, did he bathe you?"

" No! How could he do that, he's a man, specifically, a Duke." Aurelia lied but felt her face burning red.

Maria looked her in the eyes and saw Aurelia fretting, she knew it. " Louis isn't the type that bath's women. I can't express how flabbergasted I am."

Picking the white neatly folded towel from the table, Maria starts drying Aurelia's hair with it. If he doesn't bathe women, why did he do it to her? Aurelia still grasps the fact that a Duke just bathed her because she had lost half her soul for two days and all that.

" Is it true he has whores?" The question sounds absurd the moment she spoke it to Maria whose eyes almost pop out its sockets.

" Whores? Who on earth said that? That person deserves to be thrown into the dungeon for saying such things about the Duke, Louis has never brought a lady into his room, just you." She clarified.

" Damn, I have been a fool all this while asking this good for nothing question…. God," she mumbled to herself.

Maria, who was drying her hair, poked her face over Aurelia's shoulder, " did you say something?"

" No." Aurelia replied in a low voice when the door suddenly opened to reveal Louis.

He walked towards his closet to pick out a white sleeve and a white long greatcoat to wear. When he was done, he then strolled back to the door and was about to go out when he heard her speak.

Maria touched Aurelia fervently to say something to Louis. The older woman was so elated.

" Are you going somewhere?" She asked and bit her lips, sounding clingy, she thought.

Louis lips quirk up in a sheepish smile before walking towards her. Maria quickly left the space which made Aurelia angry. She has nothing with the Duke and Maria was making it seem big.

" Curious aren't you, would you like to come with me?" He asked.

Raising her head to gaze at him, Aurelia shifted her eyes to another direction, " no."

Her blunt reply made Louis' eyes shimmer in mockery, " Maria, dress her up. She's coming with me." He then went out of the room.

" Maria no! I don't want to go anywhere with him," rebuked Aurelia. How could Maria agree to such a thing?

" Child, don't be foolish, the Duke invited you, to other ladies, it's a blessing." Maria said dreamingly as she rushed out of the door to get Aurelia a nice warm dress.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Aurelia could only see a flushed looking girl, dark long hair that was messy, thin brows, black eyes that made her mesmerized. She didn't know her eyes were beautiful. Her small face fitted her small features, the warm light in the room casting a shadow on her, for a second, Aurelia thought she was beautiful.

Maria returned with a dress with her. " Surprise surprise," she jovially said and held the dress on the neck for the other parts to fall, revealing a beautiful gray dress with white lacing at the front.

" It's beautiful," Aurelia commented in awe.

" Just like you." Maria included and brought another corset. " Put this on, you don't know who you're going to meet on your way so it's best if you look presentable."

After lacing the corset, Maria pulled it together tightly while Aurelia held the edge of the dressing table and kept rolling her eyes every single time Maria pulled the corset.

" It's good now," said Maria who was eagerly admiring her job, then Aurelia puts on the dress.

" Look at you," Maria was enthusiastic as the dress was one of the dresses Aurelia had asked her to give Vivian which she hadn't done yet. She knew one day like this, it would be of use.

Few minutes later after Maria had combed Aurelia's lengthy hair, also applying ointment, she made a simple pack at the middle of her head. She also made some fringe, making Aurelia adorable with some touch ups, she was ready to leave with the Duke.

Although the sky had turned dark, Aurelia didn't bother much because Louis was the one taking her with him.

Before Aurelia left the room with Maria, she draped a white woolen fur shawl on her shoulder, " remember to hook your arms around his." She then winked at the clumsy girl.

Maria had spent time teaching Aurelia how to act with the Duke if by chance they were going to meet many people.

" Alright Maria," Aurelia replied and exhaled sharply.

" Good. Now you look like a princess," praised Maria who didn't know she had said something deep.

Walking her out of the room, Maria led Aurelia downstairs to the drawing room.

Eva had come to the Duke's mansion before the sky became dark. She had come here so the Duke would go with her to a tea party being held in one of the noble's households. She was surprised Louis agreed and went back to his room to get changed but came back waiting.

She didn't know why he was waiting but it didn't sit well with her.

" Your Grace, aren't we leaving? The party would start an hour from now," she said to see him check his wrist.

" Two hours from now," he reminded her. Who said he was going with her? He was waiting for his naive bunny.

Levi and Stanley were standing on the second floor quietly watching from there as Louis waited for Aurelia to come along with Vivian who was quiet. Her eyes were filled with excitement. It would be Aurelia's first time attending a tea party in Devontae with the Duke beside her.

Eva was about to say something when her eyes caught up on someone walking down the flight of stairs. Her face scrunched up in disgust and shock.

She couldn't believe this. How's that possible? The color on her face slowly drained out the closer Aurelia came towards them. She couldn't believe Louis was waiting for this idiot. Yet again, stole her limelight.

" Louis you didn't say you were bringing a third party along with us," she asked with bile at the tip of her tongue and jealousy burning in her eyes.

Where did she get that dress, why was the style different from that of every other lady? Eva thought inwardly.

" Third party? I can't see any reason why two people from the same mansion can be a third party." Louis retorted in a light manner as he stood up to admire the bright looking lady before.

Eva pales at once on hearing Louis words, he has indirectly told her that she was the third party. Glaring at the bastard who was the same as Roxanne, fury burned in her eyes. ' Wait till I make you eat your shit. ' she said inwardly and plastered a false smile on her lips.

" She's so beautiful, I can't believe that is Aurelia. She's more beautiful than a princess, don't you think she fits to be a Grand Duchess?" Levi was amazed at the sight of the slave protects a lot.

Stanley stared at Aurelia from where he was standing and there was no denying the fact that she was beautiful. Thinking about Levi, there's a minor possibility for that to happen.

Vivian couldn't stop screaming and hurried down to meet Aurelia who was glaring at Eva.

She didn't think of meeting the spoiled troublemaker who made Louis send her back to the mansion then encountering the scavenger who sucked her soul.

Edwina was flabbergasted as she stared at Aurelia in the drawing room. She was so beautiful despite the little make up and casual dressing.

Louis looked appealing in his outfit which almost matched with that of Aurelia's. As a ceremonial Grand Duke, he looked his best in the white greatcoat while Aurelia by his side was even better than the pale lady in red standing with a frown.

Aurelia flushed when Louis turned her to face him, he always does things that make her red all over. Removing something from his pocket, he tucked it into her hair.

Maria smiled and blushed, ' so romantic,' she then bowed to the Duke along with Vivian who was beside her.

Aurelia touched the object on her hair to find out it was a hairpin. Though she couldn't see it before he put it on her hair, she knew it was eye-catching.

Eva stared at Aurelia, blind with jealousy. She saw quite well how Louis had brought out the pin from his pocket and if this bastard hadn't volunteered to come with them, the pin would have been on her hair and not the other way round.

" You are beautiful," Louis' comment reached Eva's ears and she felt like slapping the hell out of Aurelia for stealing her limelight.

Aurelia blushed as her hand was suddenly hooked with Louis while they walked out of the mansion. Her face reddened heavily to the extent Louis knew what she was thinking and he chuckled.

" Why are you chuckling?" She asked in anxiety. It was the first time a man was holding her like this.

" I like the red face," replied Louis.

Eva couldn't bear to hear their sweet talks, she rushed inside her carriage, ashamed of herself.

*

Inside the carriage, Aurelia was sitting opposite Louis who refused to take his eyes off her. Though she felt comfortable with him, she wished she could find a hole and bury herself.

" Stop gawking at me, you've seen more beautiful ladies." She said to hear him chuckle loudly.

Louis leaned towards her, " one of them is behind us," he responded to her blunt statement.

Eva was beautiful though. Eva's carriage was behind theirs as she had bought the Crest carriage.

" I don't mind you switching carriage beside me. I didn't volunteer to come with you." She blurted.

" It's best if you shut that mouth, I can help if you won't mind." He said and leaned back on his seat.

The carriages rode into a large compound with green shrubs at both sides of the cobblestone paths. Beholding them was a magnificent mansion, beaming with light in the blanket of the night.

Coming to a halt, Louis exited the carriage the moment the coachman opened the door before stretching out his hand for Aurelia to take.

She stared at his hand before looking at him, " was that a must," she asked and took his hand. Aurelia didn't miss the Coachman's wink with a smile to her.

Exotic carriages filled outside the mansion making Aurelia become more nervous. Louis noticed she turned stiff and unhook his hand from hers. Aurelia frowned and looked up at him as he was taller than her.

She wanted to ask why when she felt his hand around her waist. Her eyes widened in shock, " what are you doing?" She asked but started feeling relaxed.

Eva sucks in air as she glares at Aurelia from behind. Why can't it be her?

Entering the mansion, the crowd immediately turned quiet upon sighting the Grand Duke on his entry with a lady beside him, his hand on her waist was what caught their attention.